Where is your battery charger located >>>

[1911tex]

Ours is in the cockpit starboard locker on the forward bulkhead. You have to be careful not to hit it climbing in and out. I assume it was located there due to charger fan noise? Long way from the house batteries located port lazarette and opposite side of shore 110 located port rear corner of cockpit. Installing a new charger and would like it located closer to the batteries. Why not?

 

[Loren Beach]

Yes, do some exploring.
I relocated ours when I replaced the '88 ferroresonant technology charger that came with the boat. That old brute was heavy and had ruined the previous batteries - likely more than once . If you did not add water weekly they would lose enough water to expose the plates and die.

On our boat model I found a new place on the opposite side of the boat interior, nearer to the batteries, that considerably shortened the 12 volt connections, The AC supply from the main panel was longer, so was replaced with new tinned "boat cable"; AC conductivity is little affected by another 8 feet of wire run in any case.
Hope you locate a new charger in a new home! The new multistage chargers use a different technology from the earlier ones. Way superior.

edit: one photo in this prior thread shows where I re-located ours to the aft cabin beside the hanging locker. Good air circulation, and short wire runs to the battery banks.

O34 - Emergency Tiller (wheel-steered boat)

http://www.ericsonyachts.org/infoexchange/entry.php?134-quot-Key-quot-for-rudder-head-Deck-Plate A blog entry for the emergency tiller probably should have accompanied the earlier blog about accessing the rudder head under the screw-out deck...

ericsonyachts.org

 

[nquigley]

Ours is in the cockpit starboard locker on the forward bulkhead. You have to be careful not to hit it climbing in and out. I assume it was located there due to charger fan noise? Long way from the house batteries located port lazarette and opposite side of shore 110 located port rear corner of cockpit. Installing a new charger and would like it located closer to the batteries. Why not?

Mine's in the same place.
I agree - it seems like an odd wiring path ... from the shore power hookup in port corner of the cockpit to charge controller at the forward end of the stbd locker, then back over to the batteries on the port side of the engine.
But maybe there was method in their madness:
- if they put the shore power socket on the stbd side of the cockpit, the initial cable path to the controller would be short and straight, but the back of that socket would be hard to access on my boat because of the propane locker
- if they installed the charge controller on the port side - where the quarterberth is - where could it go, and where would the cables run from the shore power socket to the controller?
- since AC cables on my boat go to 110V sockets in 3 places on both sides of the boat, I think the location of my charge controller is probably optimal - not perfect, just better than other spots.
Plus, it'll be super-easy to swap for a new one if I ever need to do that.

 

[1911tex]

I am looking at this charger ($100) as a backup when the shore power goes on the blink as it does during storms (a week during the recent ice storm): EDIT...the reviews sell it!

Amazon.com

 

[1911tex]

Mine's in the same place.
I agree - it seems like an odd wiring path ... from the shore power hookup in port corner of the cockpit to charge controller at the forward end of the stbd locker, then back over to the batteries on the port side of the engine.
But maybe there was method in their madness:
- if they put the shore power socket on the stbd side of the cockpit, the initial cable path to the controller would be short and straight, but the back of that socket would be hard to access on my boat because of the propane locker
- if they installed the charge controller on the port side - where the quarterberth is - where could it go, and where would the cables run from the shore power socket to the controller?
- since AC cables on my boat go to 110V sockets in 3 places on both sides of the boat, I think the location of my charge controller is probably optimal - not perfect, just better than other spots.
Plus, it'll be super-easy to swap for a new one if I ever need to do that.

I now agree!

 

[Frank Langer]

Doesn't this charger require 120 volt AC power to operate, in which case it won't be useful as a backup in a power failure as you are wanting it to do??
Frank

 

[Nick J]

I moved mine under the nav desk. Everything is a trade off. The obvious one for me was my knee caps. So far it hasn't been too big of an issue, but i have hit it a few times. Fan noise is minimal.

 

[1911tex]

Doesn't this charger require 120 volt AC power to operate, in which case it won't be useful as a backup in a power failure as you are wanting it to do??
Frank

Frank you are correct!!! My brain fart!!

 

[Dave G.]

Mine are in the port cockpit locker about half way between banks 1 & 2. When I bought the boat it had a Pro Mariner 2 bank charger that did not work. Turned out the power supply in the unit had failed so neither bank would charge. So when I replaced it I went with 2 Guest chargers to eliminate the single power supply failure taking out both banks. I probably should move them but the AC power was there already and needed to get a charger up and running. Another project on the list..

 

[Filkee]

Mine is inside the nav table. I replaced it this year and it involved much stretching and contorting. Also, Possibly germane to your brain issue, I got myself one of these for when all else fails :https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B015TKUPIC/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

 

[kapnkd]

The original location on our ‘73 E-32 II was in the forward storage compartment area of the port side rear qtr berth.

There was a glassed in tray for only two batteries. With increased battery needs, we removed the old tray and created one for three batteries.

There was ample room for the charging system to fit conveniently on the high side of the batteries. Access was limited by the old compartment size so we also enlarged the cover as well.


(Photo taken with only charger leads connected)


(Photo taken prior to varnishing cover)

 

[Kenneth K]

I just completed my new charger (30A) install 2 weeks ago. Original location was same as yours--stbd cockpit fwd bulkhead. Because of the crazy wiring runs, I never got more than about a 13V charge (measured at the batteries) even though the charger was putting out around 14V.

​

New installation is under the nav table. It's now only a 3+ foot run (is used 8ga wire) to the main battery box for the house bank, with very little voltage drop.



The run to the starter battery (located outboard of the engine compartment) is a bit longer. I ran 8 ga wire (about 3' length) from the charger to a small 40A circuit breaker inside the DC panel. From the circuit breaker, another 8ga wire goes to the starting battery post on the BATT switch. From there, the charger uses the 10-ft battery cable (1/0 ga) to reach the battery.

 

[Nick J]

I really like your install Ken. That gets it out of the way of your knees and keeps the benefit of short DC runs. I would like to have mine like that, but I have an access panel there to get to the space behind the drawers. Does your 32 have the same panel?

 

[Kenneth K]

No access panel there on mine--just smooth TAFG liner and only maybe 1/2 to 1" clearance between that and the hull (there wouldn't be much to access back there on my boat, except maybe wiring).

 

[Nick J]

It's interesting seeing the differences between the 32 and 35. Your 32 looks like the grind goes higher up and has some more structure. It also looks like it creates a nice wire run between the quarter birth and panel.

 

[Kenneth K]

Yeah, most of the electrical is centrally located on the 32-3:



That main wiring channel is pretty full (3 battery cables, factory corrugated wiring conduit, 2 AC lines, DC panel grounding + my starting battery charger cable).

I'm running new instrument wiring through the area aft of that (blue arrow), and it's wide open.

Battery box sits just below this (also got re-wired as part of the charger install):